An outsider's view of life in Japan. It doesn't mean I'm right. But it doesn't mean I'm wrong.

Search This Blog & Get A Rife

Friday, August 26, 2016

The Stars' Fault: Book Review And Free Offer - Updated

ED. Note - new launch date - one day later.

This blog affords me the opportunity to ‘chat’ with some very interesting people from time to time—readers, as well as those who I have known for years, allowing me the opportunity to reconnect.

Believe it or not, I relish each and every conversational fragment I have with you all.

One such person is John Box, a pseudonym, though I do know his real name. John is a writer.

He’s a fascinating individual who, as an American, lived in Japan and was essentially a sex boy at one of those nasty little clubs we’ve heard of, wished we had the courage to check out, but in the long run are kind of glad that we didn’t, because who needs the hassle.

Well… John Box is all about the hassle and the hustle, and he wrote one of the most fascinating books about the underbelly of Japan that I have ever read, entitled: American MaleWhore in Tokyo, under the pen name of Rowen Boozewell.

The guy has a lot of aliases. Aliasi? Whatever.

I’ve had plenty of time to get to know John, as well as someone can get to know someone when discussing books and conquests in Japan, so he surprised the heck out of me earlier this month when he asked if I would review his latest book called: The Stars’ Fault.

I knew what to expect, and when I read it I was blown away.

It wasn’t about Japan and sex and debauchery and booze and stuff like that, it was about a group of kids struggling with cancer.

I know…. holy crap, right?

Now, John’s story doesn’t delve deep into the ugliness of the disease or treatments, rather it’s about a group of kids in a cancer ward in a hospital hating the fact that they have cancer, but sharing themselves through a sci-fi book one of them has.

The Stars’ Fault is simply-written—that’s not a fault, by the way—and is a mere 66-page novella.

It’s not going to win a Pulitzer Prize, then again, neither did any of Shakespeare’s works.

It’s kind of a funny story about kids with cancer, if that’s possible to say seeing as how I don’t have cancer (that was a close one, what with that nodule in my neck)… but as John notes, The Stars’ Fault is one part parody, two parts mindscrew, and three parts the best words.

Wait. I don’t understand that third part. Mindscrew. See?

The story alternates between the kids’ world and the sci-f world of the book, featuring a 10-year-old boy named Fen who is kind of a prick (yes, kid’s with cancer can still be jerks), and the captain of a space pioneer squadron who is fighting for the survival of HIS species.

It is actually a unique perspective on cancer and I applaud John Box for having the testicular fortitude to write the story.

Keep in mind the term “mindscrew”. I’m sure he would have preferred the term “mindfXXk” but this is a relatively clean blog.

The Stars’ Fault is being launched on Amazon, August 27, 2016, and it is FREE for readers of this blog for FIVE DAYS ONLY until August 31, 2016.

Total Page Views

Rifers

Currently Still A Gaijin

Andrew was born in London, UK, raised in Toronto, Canada, and cavorted in Ohtawara, Japan for three years. He is married, has a son and a cat, Freddy (after the dude in Scooby-Doo). He has over 35,000 comic books and a plethora of pioneer aviation-related tobacco and sports cards and likes to build LEGO dioramas.
Along with writing for a monthly industrial magazine, he also writes comic books and hates writing in the 3rd person. He also hates having to write this crap that no one will ever read. Along with the daily Japan - It's A Wonderful Rife blog, when he feels the hate, will also write another blog entitled: You Know What I Hate? He also works on his Pioneers Of Aviation - a cool blog on early fliers. He also wants to do more writing - for money, though. Help him out so he can stop talking in the 3rd person.